The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-24

cir. Burnell Sold His Mine for $S5,OO0 and
1t Has Since Yielded 81, 100000.

cir. Burnen Sold His NINE TOT ySo,OOO, ana
1t Has Since Yielded 81, 100000.
San Francisco Examiner.
John NJ Burnell. one of the proprietors of the
Rocky Mountain News Denver, Is kicking him
self very hard these days." said Clifton Hender
son, of Leadviile. to an Examiner reporter at the
Baldwin, yesterday
up TO six months ago he owned the Iron
Masque mine, at Red Cliff almost entire. 1t was
a pretty good mine, and had large deposits of
lead and silver carbonates both above and be-
low the quartzite, but Burnell was afraid OF It.
He had an unusually hard time trying to
strike it in the Holy Cross district. and had gone
through some awful winters there. But this
not all. He had gone TO Leadville in the
early and exceedingly rough days of rs, and
with John Atkins and Cad Davis started the
Leadville Chronicle. They were just swinging
into line, and getting ia their profits we'll on ad-
vertsing and job work, when it struck B1rnell
in view of the fact of scores of astonishlngly
rich strikes around there-that he never was cut
out for editor. but that on the contrary he
was born miner, and that If he would only go
forth with pick and spade he would speedily IN
earth such mighty bonanzas as would make him
famous throughout all time.
He sold his interest in the Chronicle for
very small figure considering. and started in
his new career. just then Leadville swelled
into a magic city of 80, 600, and the way Davis
and Atkins raked in the shekes in the printing
business was caution alike to new and old
hands. Atkins made so much money that he
pinned for bigger field, and went down to
Denver and bought heavy interest in the
News there. Davis. Burnells other old partner
did so well, TOO, that besides owning the Lead
vile Chronicle entire, he bought the Leadville
Democrat, and to-day owns both, is president
of Leadville bank and what not.
''All this time. recollSct, the grass had been
very short with Burnen He did, three or four
years ago, get in some So 900 FOR mining claim
but he speedily put this all in the ground again,
so that for most all the time since 49, at least.
he was dead broke. Several times he cut loose
from the mines temporarily and went back to
Leadvlie to Daviss office and worked at the
case to raise few dollars.
I'm the went again, until he was nat
a founder in the financial world, and still no
pay Burnell said he believed all the powers
of earth conspiring to try and convince
him that he would never strike II, and in sheer
desperation he dubbed his claim the Iron
Masque; saying. in an amused but undlsmayed
way, that great beds of silver were masked IL
iron from him.
ssThen he would renew his attacks on the pitt
less rocks himself holding the drill and work
ing like hero with his men.
What Burnells great joy, therefore,
when IN bowling night of January last he was
awakened from dreams of wealth in his rude
cabin and told by one of the night shift that he
had indeed struck it. Burnen thought that If
he had even made a $4,000 raise he would for
ever shake the rough mountains He pnt on
his old CLAW taned suit of clothes and went forth
through the snow into the keen crisp mountain
He climbed into the bucket, and by the
light of taliow candle was lowered down the
long shaft.
Sure enough, there were the glistening
Donates! He had struck them at last Dreams
of powerful daily newspaper, great library,
passed through. his mind. He assembled the
shaft went to his cabin and ate the heartiest
breakfast he had had for long while. That
afternoon he went down to Leadville, got trusted
for two or three suits of Clothes and got rugged
out a'eentleman, which he always was.
'Aong came capitalists in few DAYS,
and they offered him $85, 900 for his mine Mr..
Burnell recollected those hard old days of his up
in the hills. and he just took the money. He
went tn Denver and bought an equal interest
with John Atkins in The Rocky Nom tain News.
The it entire now. Mr.. Burnell
thought he would make himself solid for some
wealth anyhow.
But what he is mad at is that the Iron Mas
que has, within the six months, developed by
far the greatest body of ore ever known in the
Red Cliff district, and the richest. The ore
tualv in sight, as tested. and measured it
stands blocked out bv the slopes and drifts. foots
up more than ST.. 600. 600; and the explorations
have not near reached to the side lines Bur
nell thinks the property may be worth couple
of millions. But he is making the best of the
situation he can. He is making money and buy
ing Denver real estate. and in one way and
other is realizing dreams which he had in the
old days. when life turned so hard side toward
him, and when nobody looked or smiled word
of ENCOURAGEMENT 10 him